Columbus weather in December

In December, Columbus sees average daytime highs of 59°F and overnight lows near 40°F, with 4.5 in of precipitation across 9.5 wet days and about 9.9 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 62°F in the first days to 57°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 hours at the start of December to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Columbus's 8th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Columbus's year-round climate.

Daytime high
59°
11th warmest
Overnight low
40°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
4.5 in
9.5 wet days
Daylight
9 h 54 min
7:40 AM – 5:32 PM
Cloud cover
58%
8th clearest
Wind
6 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
2.46 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.7
out of 10

Columbus is consolidated city-county in Muscogee County, Georgia, United States.

Density
362/km²
people per km²
Founded
1828

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 62°F in the first days to 57°F by the end.

A typical December day in Columbus reaches about 59°F in the afternoon and slips back to 40°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 47°F and 71°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 7°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16242
26242
36242
46241
56141
66141
76141
86041
96041
106041
116040
126040
135940
145940
155940
165940
175940
185840
195840
205839
215839
225839
235839
245839
255839
265739
275739
285739
295739
305739
315739

How December really feels in Columbus

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Columbus weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan57° / 38°4.29.810.14.1
Feb61° / 41°4.49.110.85.1
Mar68° / 47°4.29.711.86.5
Apr76° / 54°3.37.912.87.2
May83° / 62°2.68.313.66.1
Jun89° / 70°3.51314.14.0
Jul91° / 73°4.415.513.93.3
Aug90° / 72°3.813.813.23.6
Sep86° / 67°3.48.312.25.3
Oct77° / 55°2.96.511.27.5
Nov67° / 45°3.67.510.36.7
Dec59° / 40°4.59.59.94.7

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 55%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25050
34951
44951
54753
64753
74654
84555
94555
104456
114456
124357
134456
144456
154456
164456
174456
184555
194555
204555
214555
224555
234456
244456
254456
264456
274357
284357
294357
304357
314357

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Columbus gets around 4.5 in of rain and snow over 9.5 wet days in December, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 31% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
127
227
327
427
527
628
728
828
929
1029
1129
1230
1330
1431
1531
1632
1732
1833
1933
2033
2133
2233
2334
2434
2534
2634
2734
2834
2933
3033
3133

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 86% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1831061
2841051
385951
485951
585951
686851
787841
887841
987841
1087841
1188741
1288741
1388741
1488741
1587751
1688750
1787751
1887751
1987751
2087751
2186851
2286851
2386851
2486851
2585951
2685951
2785951
2884952
2984952
30831061
31831061

Wind in December

Winds average 6 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 hours at the start of December to 9 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:29 AM to 7:46 AM, and sunset from 5:30 PM to 5:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.07:295:30
210.07:305:30
310.07:315:30
410.07:315:30
510.07:325:30
610.07:335:30
79.97:345:30
89.97:345:31
99.97:355:31
109.97:365:31
119.97:375:31
129.97:375:31
139.97:385:32
149.97:395:32
159.97:395:32
169.97:405:32
179.97:405:33
189.97:415:33
199.97:415:34
209.97:425:34
219.97:425:34
229.97:435:35
239.97:435:35
249.97:445:36
259.97:445:36
269.97:455:37
279.97:455:38
289.97:455:38
299.97:465:39
309.97:465:39
319.97:465:40

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.46 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.46 kWh/m² to a high of 6.28 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 2.46 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.7Moderate
22.7Moderate
32.7Moderate
42.6Moderate
52.6Moderate
62.6Moderate
72.6Moderate
82.5Moderate
92.5Moderate
102.5Moderate
112.5Moderate
122.5Moderate
132.5Moderate
142.5Moderate
152.4Moderate
162.4Moderate
172.4Moderate
182.4Moderate
192.4Moderate
202.4Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.4Moderate
252.4Moderate
262.4Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.4Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Columbus?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.7
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.3
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Columbus for sightseeing.

What to pack for Columbus in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Columbus sees daytime highs around 59°F and nights near 40°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Columbus in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Columbus peaks around July 11 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 11UV 9Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar7High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Columbus in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Columbus is worst in July — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.9× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodJul 1719 µg/m³Dec 207 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb11Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr11Good
May12Good
Jun16Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Columbus?

Columbus sits at 32.5°N, 85.0°W, 269 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Phenix City, 1.2 mi away.

Topography around Columbus

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Columbus.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Columbus has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 367 ft around an average of 295 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 525 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,224 ft.

The land around Columbus is covered by trees (47%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 2 miles, trees (75%) within 10 miles, and trees (86%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
367 ft
10 miles
525 ft
50 miles
1,224 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Phenix City 1.2 mi · Opelika 26 mi · Auburn 30 mi · LaGrange 40 mi · Americus 52 mi · Newnan 65 mi · Peachtree City 68 mi · Griffin 68 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Columbus (32.461°, -84.9877°, elevation 269 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).